Te Puke Police report: five burglaries, eight arrests

CCTV footage is being reviewed in relation to rural burglaries in the Te Puke area.

Over the past fortnight there have been five burglaries and attempts made at stealing three cars in the wider Te Puke area.

Three of the burglaries were at rural properties, one on Maniatutu Rd where a child’s motorcycle was taken and two that are believed to be linked, on Benner Rd where a welding machine and a compressor were among the items taken.

We are following some good lines of inquiry on the Benner Rd burglaries.

A cash box was taken and a laptop moved at the burglary of Malyon St property and a number of batteries were stolen from a commercial yard on Station Rd.

We are reviewing CCTV footage in respect of these burglaries.

Attempts to steal a car from Jellicoe St were unsuccessful, although a passenger-side window was broken and the ignition tampered with.

A car stolen from Station Rd was found in Te Puke by police the next day and a car stolen from a Te Puke Highway address is still missing.

Motorists are advised to consider parking in well-lit areas and possibly buying a deterrent device such as a steering wheel lock. Although it wasn’t the case recently that items were stolen from cars, it is timely to remind motorists to remove anything of value from parked vehicles.

Police have had a busy time recently and have made eight arrests - all Te Puke people.

Over the past seven days, four people, two male and two female, have been arrested for breaching bail conditions.

Four people - three male and one female - have also been arrested on warrants issued as they failed to appear in court

Matariki holiday is coming, so I’d like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a safe long weekend.